Ethics (PHIL05)

16th May 2020

Ethics considers, from a philosophical perspective, what is meant by ‘good’, ‘bad’, ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. By approaching different theories concerning these concepts, including Utilitarianism and Kantian ethics, the nature of moral problems in everyday life will be illuminated and examined. Over the duration of the semester students will develop a multi-faceted appreciation of what is at stake in moral debates. The course considers both ethical theories and ‘practical ethics’, debates concerning how those theories may be applied. The first few weeks will focus solely on theoretical ethics, to equip the students, then the bulk of the semester will alternate between theoretical and practical ethics as the class considers crime and punishment, euthanasia, war and peace, freedom of speech and other ethical challenges we face both as societies and as individuals.